052616 - The Crowning
CAT RIGHT NOW opened memo on board LOQAQ. CAT: Aaisha's walking slowly back to where she had left Lorrea only a few minutes before, phone still turning in her hands as she looks down at it thoughtfully. CAT: Lorrea is sitting against the crystalline wall, with her phone set beside her. She peers at Aaisha, as she approaches. CAT: "Lorrea.. can.. can Libby see us?" she's frowning a little, speaking once she sees the jadeblood awake. "Can she hear us?" CAT: "... She can see thrrough the nanites in Serrios' bllood." CAT: "I thought you knew about this?" Lorrea tilts her head, slightly. CAT: "LLike how Scarrllet may be ablle to see thrrough you." CAT: "I. No?" she pauses, frown widening and looks behind her toward Serios's sleeping form. She turns her gaze back to Lorrea. "I. Figured Scarlet was watching... Ari's watching." CAT: "But. She said she didn't mean to interfere with my moiraillegiance." CAT: "... What?" CAT: "Nyarla pestered her again and.. we talked. So..." CAT: "Did something happen?" CAT: "She said he was begging her for favors, or something and I," she rubs her forehead, "can barely remember my conversation with Nyarla about it... Ah. The adult troll.. the courier that was on Alternia." CAT: "What was the... magical? Medicine. Libby gave you." CAT: "What?" CAT: "You're changing subjects so quicklly, sllow down." CAT: "When you got hurt, Libby helped yousorry." CAT: "Untyped nanites." CAT: "She might be ablle to see thrrough me. She might not. I am unsurre." CAT: "Oh," she stops, staring into space. "Why didn't you mention that when you mentioned Serios?" CAT: "Because I'm unsurre about it, and didn't want to worrry you about it." CAT: Her lips thin. "I appreciate it but I wish you told me sooner... I'm a little embarressed." Her cheeks are starting to flush. CAT: "... I thought you knew. Serrios and Nyarrlla onlly tolld me, recentlly." CAT: Aaisha shakes her head. "I knew she could read our logs but." CAT: "I know now though so that's.. fine. I suppose we could ask.. for them to be removed?" CAT: "I suppose?" CAT: "..Does it bother you?" CAT: "LLess so than Scarrllet watching thrrough you." CAT: "Ah," her response is simple, but she crouches down in front of Lorrea folding her skirt to her knees. "I'm sorry.. that doesn't make me a very good moirail does it?" CAT: "... It doesn't reallly reflllect on that." CAT: "It's just something that happens to be trrue." CAT: "Mmm... but you can't open up to me like you might need to.." CAT: "I don't carre if she's awarre. She knows my terrms." CAT: "Mmmm.." her hum is a little longer and her eyes narrow, "Private conversations should still probably be private.. I'd try for a rule but.." CAT: "Of courrse they shoulld. But if they can't, then we have to make do." CAT: Lorrea shrugs. CAT: "There can be rules.." her fists clenching, "They just have to be made..." CAT: "You're wellcome to trry! That's harrdlly my domain." CAT: "As it stands, we have a few morre urrgent things to deall with." CAT: Lorrea glances at her arm, before remembering that she's literally never worn a watch, at any time. CAT: She lets out a breath, glancing towards the mothergrub, "Yea.. I've been trying to think of ways to deal with that.. to deal with my Denizen I have a few in mind and. Libby said she'd help. If she could?" Her voice tinges with confusion when Libby is mentioned, though Aaisha raises a brw at Lorrea's glance. CAT: "LLibby has been fairrlly hellpfull thus farr, and Serrios stands to benefit as welll. Good that you've been ablle to tallk to herr." Lorrea shrugs, rolling her shoulders. CAT: Aaisha lowerss herself the rest of the way to the ground, sitting with her legs to the side and keeping her skirt firmly tugged over her thighs. "She called me her friend. She said she thinks of me as her friend." CAT: Her hands are shaking as she picks with her skirt. CAT: "LLessens some compllication, cerrtainlly." CAT: "...Lorrea.. do you trust her? Can you tell me that?" Her eyes lock with Lorrea's, mouth pulled down and eyebrows furrowed her eyes glisten. Rubbing the fabric of her skirt between her fingers, the tension in her body, shoulders hunched forward and lips trembling, it makes one thing clear: she needs an honest answer. CAT: "She has grreaterr reason not to betrray us than most of the pllayerrs. I don't think she's stupid. Not perrfect, and capablle of mistakes, cerrtainlly. But not stupid." CAT: "So untilll I'm prroven otherrwise, she has the cllosest thing to trrust that I'm willling to hand out." CAT: Aaisha nods slowly, taking it in before she takes a deep breath and straightens her shoulders as she makes a decision. "Okay. Okay I trust you. I. I think it's time to open Libby's present. You still have the box I gave you?" CAT: "No. I ate it." Lorrea stares blankly at Aaisha, for a few moments. CAT: And then summarily uncaptchalogues the box. CAT: She can't help but laugh, picking a bit at her skirt. "Lorrea please, this is serious heh." CAT: "..serios.." she quietly whispers to herself before looking behind her shoulder in guilt. CAT: "I would type it sometimes too.." murmuring she reaches out for the box. CAT: Lorrea delivers the box, not commenting. CAT: Opening the box gently, Aaisha careful navigates through the paper inside until she finds what she suspected. The Alternian crown. CURRENT calamitousClotho CCC RIGHT NOW responded to memo. CCC: • Aaisha • CCC: • You feel a tiny slip of paper tucked delicately between two of the golden spines • CAT: "I don't even know how she got this.." gently picking it up she feels the paper, pulling it from the spines and looking it over. CCC: • You notice something has been written on it in spindly Alternian handwriting. "I cannot choose for you, but I can give you the tools to choose for yourself. Things are never easy for females like us. Rule or be Ruled. -L" • CAT: "Who.." Aaisha turns the paper over, trying to recgonize the handwriting. She searches the box again next. It sent a chill down her spine, seeing those words, nearly the name as her own when she spoke to Jack. Rule or die. CAT: After a moment, it hits her. "Libby wrote it." CAT: She hands the note to Lorrea. CAT: Lorrea peers at the note, for a moment. "Welll, considerring that this is frrom herr to you, that makes sense." CAT: Aaisha shakes her head, looking back to the crown. "Rule or be ruled.." CAT: "Pick yourr poison." CAT: "Hah, seriously.. You know this is a silly thing to get nervous over," she laughs a little turning it over in her hands. "All I have to do it put it on.." She looks to Lorrea, after a moment of quick short breaths a deep one follows. "I trust you." CAT: A moment later, with hands steady Aaisha puts the crown atop her head. CCC: • Lorrea, Aaisha's eyes roll back in her head and she collapses in a heap, blood trickling out of her nose. • CAT: Lorrea takes all of a moment, before she darts forwards, trying to remove the crown. CCC: • Lorrea, you can't. Tines from the crown are imbedded into her scalp, possibly deeper. • CAT: Lorrea takes a breath, and tries to determine if it's killing her. By way of Life, of course. CCC: • Aaisha is all right. She is sleeping. She'll probably have a killer headache when she wakes up, but whatever this is it isn't HURTING her, or killing her. • CAT: Lorrea will try and make slight adjustments to Aaisha's position, so that she won't wake up hurting from that, too, then, even while she growls under her breath. CAT: After a few moments Aaisha begins to stir, blinking blearily and hissing as the pain in her head hits her. CAT: Lorrea moves back, slightly, peering at Aaisha, with a fair bit of concern. "Crrowns don't usuallly do that." CAT: "um. no," a reaches up to hold her head, "they dont. dont remove it." CAT: ".... Right." CAT: "aah seriously dont let anyone else remove it either. itll kill me." CAT: "I sorrt of began to suspect as much." CAT: Aaisha moves to sit up, wincing and breathing hard through her nose. "I'm sorry.. were you worried?" CCC: • Aaisha splatters blood from the nosebleed on both of you. • CAT: "...oh. sorry." CAT: Lorrea stares at the blood. She opens her mouth to say something, and then closes it. CAT: Aaisha wipes at her nose, very thankful that yes her dress is fuchsia how'd you guess. "it should stop soon... hopefully." CAT: She feels the crown. "this is going into my head." CAT: "The bllood? It's supposed to be therre." CAT: "uh.. last i checked nosebleeds weren't normal?" There's a small change in her tone, subtle but there. Aaisha sounds much more.. confident. CAT: "I meant on the inside. Not the outside." CAT: "fucking.. what." her hand strays to the crown gently as she whispers. Was there no getting it off? Ever? "um. oh. yea. but well. it should stay on the inside. uh." CAT: "I agrree." Something about that statement seems a little bit off, in tone. CAT: "How do you feelll?" CAT: "one style does /not/ fit all i hope this shapeshifts aaaaAh yeslorreaismymoirail." Aaisha's eyes are wide and she.. does not know how to handle this situtation. CAT: "im fine. they're talking to me." CAT: "because i have an entire closest of clothes this has to match with?? what excuse-" Aaisha's face goes from confused, to offended to thoroughly embaressed. CAT: "i dont want to cut off anyone's tongue what is this the dark ages?" CAT: "Therre arre betterr ways that retain peoplle's usefullness morre entirrelly, anyways." CAT: "what do you mean reform? ..can i switch to mental talking? aah yes there are lorrea and if i could think..." CAT: Lorrea purses her lips, raising an eyebrow. CAT: "we are not. putting a collar. on my moirail." the reply is ground out. CAT: "isn't more /I/? than we?" CAT: The corner of Lorrea's mouth twitches upwards, in a slight smirk. CAT: Aaisha wipes at her nose. Looking at Lorrea. "sorry i. i wonder if libby knew this would happen? mmm, the younger ones.. how many of you are there?" CAT: Aaisha growls low in her throat. CAT: It dies down as she considers, "our civilization can't be that old.. ah lorrea im sorry are you okay? i could. take this... one sided conversation somewhere else?" CAT: "No, no. It's fine." CAT: Aaisha chokes. CAT: "ohgosh, i just. had a flashback. to talking to jack. lorrea. lorrea im going to have kinkshame my own mind now this is terrible." CAT: "I'm so sorrry." Lorrea's smirk progresses to a full grin. CAT: "lorrea /please/ ohmygosh" she reaches forward grasping the jadeblood's shoulders gently, her voice is full of almost hysterical laughter, "this. ohgosh lorrea they're going to kinkshame /me/" CAT: Lorrea shakes her head, slightly, the grin widening, showcasing her teeth. "The sacrrifices that you make forr alll of us arre astonishing." CAT: A giggle bubbles in the back of her throat and then she's taking another breath to calm herself. "They want me to reform Nyarla." CAT: "He coullld cerrtainllly use it." CAT: Her lips thin. "reform how? just from listening.." She shakes her head. CAT: Lorrea tilts her head, slightly, peering at Aaisha. CAT: "they wanted me to cut out his tongue. "consorts should be silent." CAT: "well.. it was more suggested but." CAT: "... A fairr suggestion." CAT: "lorrea" CAT: "At lleast that's something that he coulldn't compllain about!" CAT: Lorrea holds her hands up, the very picture of innocence. CAT: "he wouldnt be able to talk of course he couldnt complain about it" CAT: "I guess you may have ulllterrriorr motives forr wanting him to keep it, though it realllly hasn't historricalllly done him much good." CAT: Her grip on Lorrea's shoulders tighten briefly. "i dont know if they can control me. lorrea. l orrea" Aaisha flushes fuchsia. "i will bring ari up. i will bring ari up so hard." CAT: "... What?" CAT: "You'llll do what?" CAT: "you made them giggle i hope you're happy," it's a fierce whisper for a moment before her tone rises, "ill bring up ari." CAT: "... is mental conversation with you guys an option or do i have to be cobalt for that" CAT: Lorrea shrugs. "I have no idea what you're talllking about." CAT: "oh. oooh you don't do you." Aaisha leans a little closer, eyes narrowing cheeks bright fuschia. CAT: "are you sure because you two seem really close" CAT: "Obviouslly," Lorrea leans back, ever so slightly. "And you're awfulllly cllose right now. Be carrrefulll, I bite." CAT: Aaisha smiles wide herself, she's going to regret this comment, "i bite back. does ari bite though? you two went missing during the party and your hair was a little... ruffled." CAT: Lorrea's grin widens further. "Do you reallllly want to plllay this game, Aaisha? With me?" CAT: "sure, im sure ill get some helpful comments along the way." CAT: "Wellll, you know me. Offerrrring advice and guidance is my llife. Therre arre betterrr ways to handllle that, though, of courrse," Lorrea's eyes flick off to the side, for an instant. "But with him so cllllose..." CAT: Aaisha follows Lorrea's gaze, "what who. who are you talking." CAT: "I coulllllld mean eitherrr of them, coulllldn't I." CAT: Aaisha squints. "what. nyarla? serios?" CAT: Her eyes goes to slits. "we're talking about ari not what apparently the rails fetish group want" CAT: "Werrre we?" CAT: "Seems lllike you got llost allong the way." CAT: "yeees and where you two might've gone at 12th perigee." CAT: "did i?" CAT: There's a rumble low in her chest. CAT: "Wherre do you think we went?" CAT: "off topic," her response is distracted. "like we're going now." CAT: "You arren't wrrrong." CAT: She hums, but sits back. Hand going back to hold her head. Her expression is troubled, frowning and not in a joking way. CAT: Lorrea tilts her head, her grin shifting to a more concerned frown. CAT: Aaisha shakes her head. "nyarla. talking about nyarla." CAT: "Of courrse." CAT: Aaisha tsks. CAT: "I'm going to suppose that it prrobablly folllows the same sorrrt of llogic as beforre." CAT: "the reforming? yes. i. mm." Aaisha goes silent. "they asked me what i would do if nyarla got you killed" CAT: "... It woullld take morre than just him forr that." CAT: Aaisha snorts quietly, holding her arm up to keep any blood still flowing from flying. "keyword 'got,' i dont think he'd make another bad deal but..." CAT: "fuck. can ari hear all this?" CAT: "Yes." CAT: "no i mean.. i mean their side too" CAT: "That was parrrt of yourrr dealll." CAT: "Oh." CAT: "Maybe." CAT: "oh they left. CAT: "Oh." CAT: "Okay then." CAT: "my head is still splitting mm.." Her eyes narrow again. CAT: "i think i have a lot to.. think about.. this is certainly something interesting to find out about the crown." CAT: "Hopefulllly that shoullld stop, soon. It WAS ratherrr sudden." CAT: "... Yes." CAT: Aaisha leans against quartz. "A headache and still the grub and denizen to deal with." CAT: Lorrea moves to lean against the quartz next to Aaisha. "I'lll get you as much time as you need." CAT: She smiles, "thank you lorrea. could we. keep thiis to ourselves for now?" CAT: "Absolllutelly." CAT: "great," she sighs, "i think i might sleep and hope... my dreamself doesnt have the same headache." CAT: "... I think I can helllp you slleep, if you woullld llike?" CAT: "please." Her voice is pained. CAT: Lorrea rests a hand on Aaisha's cheek, for a moment. CAT: Aaisha's eyes begin to close, leaning into Lorrea's hands slightly. CAT: Lorrea shifts herself, to offer support for Aaisha's weight. Probably more comfortable than the crystal, at least. CAT: Going under fast enough, Aaisha's let's her weight be supported by Lorrea. Category:Aaisha Category:Lorrea